Process for making step-joints



B. G. BRAINE. PROCESS FOR MAKING STEP JOINTS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 5. me.

4 SHEETS-SHEET I.

anuentoz I Bwmcryff G Bmime, Wihw A3 1 Patented Oct. 25, 1921.,

B. G. BRAINE. PROCESS FOR MAKING STEP JOINTS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 5. 1919.

1,394,708. Patented Oct. 25, 1921.

4 SHEETSSHEET' 2.

B. G. BRAINE. PROCESS FOR MAKING STEP JOINTS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 5, I919. 1,394,708. Patented Oct. 25, 1921,

4 S HEETSSHEET 3.

earner cranes.

BANCROFT G. BRAINE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y. ASSIGNOB. TO THE RAIL JOINT COMPANY, A CORI ORATION OF NEW YORK.

PROCESS FOR'MAKING STEP-JOINTS.

Application filed November 5, 1919.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BANCROFT G. BRAINE, citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements .in Processes for Making Step-Joints, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the manufacture of step joints and more particularly to a processavailable for use in connectlon wlth rolled joint bars, thereby utilizing the advantages of rolling mill practice as well as simplifying the production of stepped bars to meet the various combinations of rails of different sizes and sections to be connected.

Heretofore, in the making of step joints for connecting rails of dissimilar section it has been the general practice to construct the same of steel or malleable iron castings, and of a design and configuration corresponding to the rail sections to be united. It has also been proposed to roll step joint bars with the aid of specially designed rolls which must be made at a great expense to meet the particular sizes of the rails to be connected. However, the relatively few and varying combinations of step joints employed render. production by the rolling method costly on account of the investment in equipment and it is therefore desirable to provide means whereby step joint bars may be made to suit varying requirements in a simple and practical manner and still preserve the advantages of a rolled bar.

Accordingly, the present invention primarily has in View a novel process whereby a rail joint bar having a uniform section throughout may be readily made to fit both the larger and smaller rail in a thoroughly practical and efficient manner with a nimum of expense and without sacrificin any of the structural features of the bar.

To that end the invention particularly contemplates a process which utilizes a standard rail joint bar suitable for a rail of one size to provide in a simple and practical way for deforming or reshaping'the bar by a bull-dozing or equivalent operation to fit the smaller rail and in carrying forward that object the invention consists of a process which involves an economical use of the bar without change in the original distribution of the metal, thereby preserving Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented oeaea, 1921.

Serial No. 335,872.

all of the features and advantages incident to the type of bar which is selected for mak ing the step joint,

Various instrumentalities may be utilized in carrying out the present invention, and

various means may be employed in handling the bar during the course of its development. Therefore, the accompanying draw ings more or less diagrammatically indicate the steps involved in carrying the process into efiect by illustrating the joint bars in the different stages of their development.

Figures 1 and 2 are respectively outside and inside perspective views of a joint bar of the continuous type having a vertical kerf for permitting the vertical deformation of one end of the bar to accommodate bars of different section and weight having the same fishing space.

Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the undeformed joint bar shown in Fig. 1 applied to rails of different section having the same fishing space.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the bar shown in Fig. 3 deformed or reshaped as a finished step joint bar.

Fig. 5 is a perspective inside view of an undeformed joint bar provided with longitudinal kerfs which permits of a deformation adapting the bar to connect dissimilar rails having different fishing spaces.

Fig. 6 illustrates the bar of Fig. 5 applied to rails having different fishing spaces in its final shape with the vertical and horizontal easement kerfs welded.

Figs. 7 and 8 are outside pers ective views showing plain angle bars provic ed with vertical and horizontal easement kerfs for fitting rails having different fishing spaces. r spectively before and after the deforming operation.

Similar reference numerals designate corrc riding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings. 1

In carrying the invention into effect it is proposed to utilize a rolled joint bar of standard cross section and design adapted 1 ieeegoe different fishing spaces. Thus, with the present process it is possible to use standard rolled rail joint bar shapes for the purpose of making step joints to connect rails of different section.

In the making of step joints one of the necessary factors to be taken into consideration is the height of the fishing space of the rails to be connected. If the rails are of different section but have the same fishing space it is only necessary to horizontally offset one entire end portion of the bar to properly engage the smaller rail. However, when it is necessary to accommodate the bar to dissimilar rails having fishing spaces of different height it is necessary also to reduce the height of the web as well as elevate the head of the bar and draw the foot and base flanges thereof upwardly to provide the necessary step for engaging the base of the smaller rail.

By way of illustration, reference is made to Fig. 1 of the drawings. In this figure of the drawings there is shown a continuous type of joint bar A, that is, a bar having formed with the foot flange thereof a rail supporting base member B, though it will be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to a base supporting type of joint bar but is clearly available for making a step joint bar from any of the conventional forms of splice bars employed in connecting rails. Regardless of the type of bar which is subjected to the steps of the improved process the initial step in the performance of the process is to form in the bar what may be termed an easement kerf or slot which permits of a bull-dozing or bending operation to produce the necessary stepping in the intermediate part of the bar without imposing or focusing undue strain on the metal fibers at such location. This is specifically illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings which illustrates the bar as being pierced by a vertical kerf or slot designated by the numeral 1, which in the illustration of Fig. 1 is shown as extending from the junction of the head of the bar with its web,

down vertically through the web and foot ofthe bar into the base member B of the latter, this being more clearly shown by reference to Fig. 2 of the drawings. It will be obvious that the easement kerf 1 may be produced by a saw, punch or other cutting implement and provides a bending easement for the bar whereby one end portion thereof may be bent out of alinement or stepped vertically from the other part of the bar, so that the same may be adapted for dissimilar rails having the same height of fishing space.

The bending or displacing horizontally of the bar to form the step is preferably performed by what is known as a bull-dozing operation which may be readily accomplished by-placing the entire bar in a bulldozing press and subjecting the same to the necessary deforming pressure. The joint bar, therefore, emerging from the second step of the process is offset or stepped to accommodate the dissimilar rails having the same fishing space, and as a final step of the operation it is proposed to obliterate the slot or kerf, by means of welding, as indicated at 2 whereby the finished step joint bar will present a homogeneous structure throughout and its structural features and characteristicspreserved in the finished product. Also it will be observed that the improved process provides means for connecting two dissimilar rails 'with a bar heavier than could be readily bull-dozed without the kerfsor slots, and after the closing of the kerf or kerfs by the welding operation the joint will be substantially as strong as before the slots or kerfs were cut into the bar.

in carrying the process into efi'ect with a joint bar of uniform section to fit dissimilar rails .having different fishing spaces it is necessary to provide one end portion of the bar with horizontal kerfs which may be used with or Without the vertical kerf, whereby the height of the web may be reduced or contracted as well as permitting the stepping or raising of the head and base of the bar vertically to contact respectively with the underside of the rail head and with the base of the smaller rail. Accordingly, the novel step of the present process which proposes to'initially form the bar with an easement kerf or kerfs may be carried out in connection with a bar intended to fit dissimilar rails having different fishing spaces as shown in Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings. 1

In said figures the joint bar A is provided With' horizontal kerfs 5 and 6 which extend from one end of thebar to its medial portion. thus leaving an opening in the central part of the web W of the bar A and also disconnecting the foot flange 7 from the base 8 for the desired distance to enable the said base to be bent upwardly by a bulldozing operation into the plane of the base of the smaller rail. It will therefore be understood that after the initial step of forming the kerfs in the bar, the same is subjected to a bull-dozing operation to close up the easement spafces provided by the kerfs 5 and 6 which reduces the height of the web of the bar to meet the smaller fishing space of the smaller rail and also displaces one end of the bar upwardly to provide a stepped base 8 and a stepped head portion 9. (Fig. 6.) This particular kerfing of the bar may also be utilized in combination with the vertical kerf 1 as shown in Fig. 5. These kerfs are finally Welded as at tr.

In forming bars for the gage. side of the rails when the fishing spaces and the rail heads are of the same depth it .will be apparent that it is only necessary to vertically offset or step the bar to properly support the rails of different sect-ion, since the gage side andtop of the dissimilar rails must be in alinement. However, in forming the bars for the opposite or outer side of the bar it is usually necessary t offset one end of the bar horizontally as well as vertically. This horizontal oflsetting may be readily accomplished by reason of the provision of the vertical slot or kerf in the bar since the horizontal oflsetting occurs at substantially the same point as the vertical offsetting which is made possible through the provision of the vertical easement kerf 1. A fundamental feature of the present process is therefore the provision of easement slots in the bar at such points that either vertical or horizontal bending may be facilitated without weakening 0r fracturing the metal remaining in the zone of the bend, while at the same time this easement may be utilized in the form ofhorizontal kerfs for diminishing the height of the bar to connect-rails having different fishing spaces. The vertical easement slot or kerf therefore assists in the operation of providingbars for both the gage and opposite side of the rail, or rights and lefts as they are known in the art.

By way of further exemplifying the application of the improved process reference is made to Figs. 7 and 8 ofthe drawings which show a plain angle bar C transformed into a step joint bar by means of the presentprocess. This may be readily accomplished by providing the angle bar at intermediate portions with a vertically disposed easement kerf 10 piercing the web of the bar and the foot flange thereof which permits ready bending or bull-dozing of one end portion of the bar upwardly to fitv the smaller rail, and, to adapt such a bar for a smaller rail with a smaller fishing than the larger rail, it will be only necessary to provide the bulldozed end of the angle bar with a longitudinally extending or horizontal kerf 11 which permits the height of that end of the angle bar to be reduced or narrowed to fit the smaller fishing space. After these operations have been performed the kerfs or slots are closed .by Welding as indicated at y.

The outside bars are shown in these figures. From the foregoing it will be apparent that the present process contemplates the .iitilizatioii of a standard joint bar for the purpose of making a step joint by a series of novel steps which are characteristic of the invention. These steps involve first the cutting or slotting f the bar in such a manner as to provide bending easement, whereby when the bar is subjected to a bull-dozing operation as the next step of the process it may be bent into the desired stepped formation. As a final step of the process it is proposed to weld the slits which result from the closing'or partially closing of the cuts or kerfs to provide a homogeneous or solid bar whose strength remains unimpaired. Also the improved process permits of the use of a much heavier bar section than ordinarily.

It is thought that the essential features and advantages of the herein described process will now be readily understood by those familiar with the art without further description, and it will also be understood that so long as the essentials are preserved, variations may be made and the manner of carrying out the process to meet varying conditions and requirements of use.

I claim j 1. The process for making a stepped bar for rail joints which consists first in slotting a part of the bar producing along the line of the slot a bending easement, and subsequently pressing into stepped relation the plortion of the bar at opposite sides of the s ot.

2. The process for making a stepped bar for rail joints which consists first in cutting a bar along the line of bend to form a bending easement in such part ofthe bar, and subsequently applying a bending pressure at one side of the out part to bring the opposite portions of the bar into stepped relation.

3. The process for making stepped joint bars which consists in first slotting a portion of the bar, producing a bending easement along the line of the slotting, then applying a deflecting pressure at one side of the slotted part, and subsequently welding the bar in the zone of the slotted portion.

4. The process for making stepped joint bars which consists in slotting an intermediate part bf the bar by forming a vertical kerf therein producing a bending easement, and subjecting the bar at one side of the kerf to a deflecting pressure.

5. The process for making stepped joint bars which consists in slotting an intermediate part of the bar by forming a vertical kerf therein producing a bending easement, then subjecting the bar at one side of the kerf to a deflecting pressure, and subsequently welding the kerfed part of the bar.

6. The process for making stepped joint bars which consists inslotting a joint bar -of uniform section throughout, and subse- &

8. The process for making stepped joint bars which consists in slotting an intermediate portion of the bar by a vertical kerf and 7 also providing a longitudinal kerf therein, and then subjecting the bar at one side of both of said kerfs to deflecting pressure.

9. The process for making stepped joint bars which consists in slotting an intermediate portion of the bar by a vertical kerf and also providing a longitudinal kerf therein, then subjecting the bar at one side of both of said kerfs to deflecting pressure, and subsequently welding the barin the zone of the kerfs. v

10. The process for making stepped joint bars which consists in subjecting a bar of unitorinsection throughout to a slotting op-.' eration which provides kerfs arranged at right angles, then subjecting the kerfed porv tion of the bar to deflecting pressure and subsequently weldingthe bar in the zone of the kerfs.

11. The process for making stepped joint bars which consists in slotting the web of the bar with a plurality of longitudinal kerfs and then subjecting said bar to deforming pressure exerted in a line parallel to the vertical axis of the web of the bar.

12. The process for making stepped joint bars which consists in slotting the web of the bar with a plurality of longitudinal kerfs, and then subjecting said bar to deforming pressure exerted in a line parallel to the vertical axis of the web of the bar, and subsequently welding the bar in the zone of the kerfs.

13. A process for making a stepped bar for rail joints which consists in longitudinally slotting the web and foot portions of the bar, subsequently subjecting the slotted portions of the bar to a deflecting pressure exerted in a direction at right angles to the slots and subsequently producing welds along the lines of the slots.

14. A process for making stepped bars for rail joints which consists in formingslots in the bar, then subjecting the bar to a bending pressure to thereby brlng separate portions of the bar into stepped relation and finally welding the bar along the line of the slot or slots.

15. A process for making stepped joint bars which consists in first slotting a portion of the bar, thenapplying a deflecting pressure at one sideof the slotted part to thereby bring separate portions of the bar into stepped relation, and subsequently obliterating the slot by a weld.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

BANCROFT G. BRAINE.

Witnesses:

E. K. KERSHNER, C. A. JDISBROW. 

